A longitudinal mediational study on the stability of alexithymia among alcohol-dependent outpatients in cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Autor:	Thorberg FA; Innlandet Hospital Trust., Young RM; Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, and Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology., Sullivan KA; Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, and School of Psychology and Counseling, Queensland University of Technology., Lyvers M; Department of Psychology, Bond University., Hurst CP; School of Public Health, Khon Kaen University., Connor JP; Alcohol & Drug Assessment Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital., Tyssen R; Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo., London ED; Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles., Noble EP; Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles., Feeney GF; Alcohol & Drug Assessment Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors [Psychol Addict Behav] 2016 Feb; Vol. 30 (1), pp. 64-72. Date of Electronic Publication: 2016 Jan 21.
DOI:	10.1037/adb0000135
Abstrakt:	Alexithymia is characterized by difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings, and an externally oriented thinking style. Alexithymia has been described as a trait-like risk factor for the development of alcohol use disorders. Few studies have investigated the absolute (whether mean scores change over time) and relative (extent to which relative differences among individuals remain the same over time) stability of alexithymia among men and women with alcohol dependence, or have considered potential underlying mechanisms. Social learning processes contribute to and maintain alcohol problems. The reinforcement of alcohol expectancies is one plausible mechanism that links the difficulties in emotional processing associated with alexithymia and alcohol use. The present study investigated the stability of alexithymia as well as alcohol expectancy as a mediator of alexithymia. Three hundred fifty-five alcohol-dependent patients were enrolled in a cognitive behavioral treatment program. Ninety-two alcohol-dependent patients completed assessments at baseline and at 3-month follow-up. Results indicated that total Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20; Bagby, Parker, & Taylor, 1994) mean score, difficulty identifying feelings, and difficulty describing feelings decreased significantly over time with a larger decrease in alexithymia mean scores for females. Externally oriented thinking mean scores did not change. The TAS-20 and its subfactors demonstrated significant correlations, from baseline to follow-up, which were stronger for males than for females. Regression analyses showed that the total TAS-20 mean scores, difficulty identifying feelings, and difficulty describing feelings were partially mediated through assertion alcohol expectancies. In conclusion, this suggests that alexithymia has relative stability and is a trait-like factor among alcohol-dependent treatment seekers. ((c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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